Andabak Wasnt Commander of Grborezi Operation, Witness Says
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Andabak, a former member of the Croatian Defense Council, has been charged with commanding an operation in the village of Grborezi in the municipality of Livno on July 21, 1993. Members of the military police of the Second Light Assault Battalion of the Croatian Defense Council killed one person and wounded another by opening fire at them, in Andabaks presence.
Members of the Second Light Assault Battalion then allegedly wounded another person, whom Andabak killed by firing a bullet in his head.
Jure Bolotin, a former member of the Croatian Defense Councils military police and a state prosecution witness, testified at todays hearing. Bolotin said the disarmament of the Bosniak population in Grborezi took place on July 20 or 21, 1993. He said commander Muamir Jasarevic, also known as Babo, told them the disarmament would happen the night before.
Prosecutor Lejla Konjic presented Bolotin with minutes taken from a statement he given at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Livno in 2014. In that statement, he had said that Andabak or Jasarevic had been the commander of the Grborezi disarmament. At todays hearing, Bolotin said he had been under pressure then, and said he was now certain it was Jasarevic.
Bolotin said during the disarmament operation in Grborezi, Andabak was at the front of the column. He said he drove a VW Golf and told people to hand over their weapons via a megaphone.
Bolotin said he was halfway through the village when he heard a burst of gunfire and sporadic shooting coming from the direction of his house. He said he drove to Megdan, where he met Andabak. He said Andabak wore a green uniform and a blue beret, and wasnt armed.
He said the defendant had come from another direction, 200 or 300 meters away, and they decided to go towards their houses together.
Bolotin said when they reached their destination, he saw a large group of soldiers who told him some residents had been wounded and killed. He saw Andabak calling either an ambulance or the police over a walkie-talkie.
The prosecution presented Bolotin with his 2014 statement again, in which hed said that Andabak had been armed with a pistol in Grborezi. Bolotin said he could hardly wait to finish giving his statement, and repeated that he had felt under pressure.
Responding to questions by Andabak, Bolotin said he didnt see protected witness S-1 on the day of the Grborezi disarmament. He said he went to S-1s house a day or two later and returned his hunting gun, which had not been confiscated in the disarmament operation. He said S-1 looked normal, but slightly scared.
Bolotin said hed never heard that Andabak had killed or beaten anyone.
The trial will continue on September 2.
